Letter from our CEO
With the leaves falling, and temperatures dropping, it's that time of year again - Jammies for June. And this year, our cause needs your support more than ever.
Dame Valerie Adams and I just received a briefing from the Kidz First clinical leaders and this winter is looking tough. Very tough. Beds are already running at over 100% capacity with at least one child in ICU every day and sometimes up to four. The overwhelming admissions are respiratory illness and rheumatic fever, with worrying increases in RSV and asthma.
As a Foundation we are working alongside Kidz First, MSD, local schools, Healthy Homes organisations, and Dame Valerie, to keep our kids away from hospital, or not needing to come back. Central to this will be Jammies for June, the legendary campaign that provides snugly warm pyjamas to children in hospitals and low decile primary schools throughout South Auckland.
In light of these pressing circumstances, our Ambassador, Dame Valerie has initiated a call to action. She urges you to join her Jammie Army, to get 15,000 new pairs of warm pyjamas to our community’s children so we can prevent hospitalisations and reduce the need for return visits.
Below we share the story of Kayshav, a young boy Dame Valerie met in isolation when she visited Kidz First and we detail how you can support the cause.
Please, join our Jammie Army and together let’s keep our kids warm and safe this winter.
Warm Regards
Margi
Dame Valerie Meets Kayshav
Dame Valerie Adams visited Kayshav is his isolation ward last week. While she was playing Lego with him, she asked him and his wonderful parents how he ended up at Kidz First. They told her he was rushed to Kidz First at 1am. He said "I couldn't breathe properly, my face was red, and I couldn't talk."
His parents told Dame Valerie it took three attempts for the doctors to stabilise Kayshav's breathing, and he narrowly avoided the ICU, which was terrifying.
Read more here
Put a Pair of Jammies on our Virtual Line
This year as well as sending pyjamas you can warm up winter for our littlest patients by donating a virtual pair of jammies to put on the line! Your donation will provide new jammies and other essential winter warm-up items to children in hospitals or living in cold, damp homes.
Form a Jammie Squad
Support Dame Valerie's Army by becoming a Jammie fundraiser and having fun at the same time! You can do anything from hosting pyjama parties to wearing jammies to work or even decorating your office like a giant bedroom.
Our tips and tricks have some fun ideas to get you underway.
Join Dame Valerie's Jammie Army here
The Value of Jammies
"It may seem a small gesture but please know that children's faces light up with joy when they receive a brand new pair of pyjamas given by somebody they have never met." Miriam Manga, Nurse Practitioner
Kidz First clinicians share the joy of what a pair of jammies can bring and how it reflects the Foundation's whakataukī aroha mai, aroha atu (love is given, love is received).
Read more here